The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-12-31

another mopt
like me musfS
and these pleasant walks along
must be given up until next May"
The speaker was an ancient iaafn
rough and rugged as an old oak tEee< one
many such that may be met any fine day
along the bluff in front of the Sailors snbg
Harbor at Staten island.
"And down South" he continued, "it are
fist a-comin on spring. which are what are
goin' on continually In life; old chaps liko<
me In the winter Of their days and youngf
sters like that yondcr," pointing 70 passing
boy, comm In for their spring and sum-
mer. With me twill soon be always night,
while for time he has etarnal daylight. or
and longer. and by Christmas time, when
we have TO burn gas nearly all day. there'n
be scarce any night there at all"
"And speakin of Christmas, minds me
Of one Christmas dinner we had in the old
bark Mersey in lS49. She were one Of them
craft what were owned by company Of
chaps as wanted 70 git 10 the diggins in Cali
fornia. where everybody aboard cept us
chaps afore the mast owned share OF her.
and where all the cargo aboard were owned
by them likewise: and as for us sailormen,
we went out for nothin'. cause we had the
fever as IL were called, and wanted TO git
out to the diggins and git fortin in gold
THAT ere. you know, were thirty-eight
year ago. and | were only thirty-two year
old, and, though you mightn't think il now
TO look at me, l were then strong as a OK and
spry as Kitten as was likewise most Of US
chaps as got a chance in this old hooker.
You see, sir, them times nobody wouldn't
send any ship as was good for anythin' to
California, cause captains. mates and crew
all cut their lucky as soon as the anchor
were down in San Francisco harbor, and the
ship jist be TO stay there and presumes that
the old Mersey are az this minute underneath
some big brick store. When they filed in
the harbor there, 10 make a water front,
they didn't stop to move these old hookers,
but iist covered EN- up. Howsever. that's
neither here nor there. There was lots as
wanted 10 Ut out there, and lot of chaps
a hundred, maybe--would git together and
buy the ship out and out, and load her with
whatever they thought they could make
spec ON out there. They generally give the
captain a share or two for his sarvices, and
the mate likewise. and all the rest of the
ships company, from the second mate and
carpenter down, they could git for the ask
ing, everybody bein' crazy TO 60 and no
body seein anythin' ahead Of him but yaller
gold.
EVERY old rattle trap'that was In the coun-
try was fixed up and sold TO one Of these
companies the members Of which didn't
know one end Of ship from the other. and
only thatits jist about the incest wage that
can beimagined, there wouldn't half of EN-
have ever got there, which they all did do,
or, az any rate, there werea't many excep-
tons. There was gay old times aboard Of
some Of them too, all hands bein' owners,
but generally if the skipper were anythin'
Of sailsrman, they found out arter he got
'em 70 sea, as they wasn't nothin' but pas
sengers and had got 60 obey orders
II mind our old mans fust tusscl with EN-
were off Rio Janairo. You see the old bark
were, without exception, the slowest thing
that ever wore canvas and we was eighty
days ont afore we was up with the latitude OF
Rio. We'd had lots Of rain ON the line and
had filled mp all our water casks, SO as to
that we was all right, and we had lots of
flour and biscuits and salt provisions on
board as cargo, but the fresh grub had long
been Como and the passenger-owners con-
cluded they'd like 20 go In and get supplies.
There had been little tiifs 'twixt them and
the old man for weeks, ard he hadn't spoke
20 them nor they TO him, but they found
ont-from the mate i suppOse-as we was
n-gittin' up In the latitude Of Rio, and
they holds a meotn' and resolves % go Ia
and they presents these resolutions 20
the captain. always had am idec that IL
they hadn't done nothin the skipper would
have gone in of his own free will and accord
but he weren't goin' 20 be ordered In, and
he told err he'd see 'em blowed first. Then
they held another mectin' and deposed him
turned him out OF the command-and APP
pointed the mate skipper but the mate
know'd better than be guilty Of an act OF
open mutiny, and he wouldn't take charge.
Then these chaps produced their shootin
irons, and threatened the skipper II he didn't
take 'em IN 10 Rio they'd blow his
brains out, or put him In irons. or what not,
and then ho called all hands, clewed up the
royal to'gnllan' sails, hauled up the courses
close-reefed the topsails, and then sent all
hands below.
Nov, gentlemen, says the skipper, I've
got the ship perfectly snug 30 as none Of you
need be in any fear OF your lives, and I'll
Civ her up 90 you. When you git tired Of
waitin' and want me 20 take charge agin, you
must Civ nll your shootin' irons, beg my
pardon and prom Use 20 obey orders" Well
they come for ard and asked us ifthcre wcrn't
some one as would take charge of the ship
and run her 20 Rio, but we told 'em that we
couldn't do II, even II we know'd how, cause
list AZ soon as we landed there we'd be took
afore the consul on a charge Of mutiny and
sent back TO the States: 80 artcr twenty |
four hours, they appointed committee to |
wait on the old man and tell him az they Civ |
ia. He made 'em bring ell their revolvcrs